Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Every year I set up a Word Wall with the best intentions. However, I have always struggled with making it actually usable. I think I finally have it down! So here's what I'm doing to "Make it Work!" (as Tim Gunn says).

I use a chalk board or dry erase board so I can easily add & remove words

I use colored chalk or markers to color code my words- one color is for high frequency words, another is for enrichment vocabulary words. I bought Bistro board style chalk markers from Hobby Lobby (see pic below). They are perfect!

When the wall is full, I'll take a picture of it, print it, and have it available in the room for kids to refer back to during writing.

Pictures- I'm going to try adding pictures next to the enrichment vocab words as visual cues.

Get your enrichment vocabulary words from read alouds. Thank you Junie B. for the word suspicious!

Use SOME of the vocabulary words from your basal story. Be selective!

Sparkle Words- Reward students who actually use the enrichment vocabulary words in their writing. A skittle goes as long way!

Feature words by putting a magnet, pom-pom, etc. next to a word. If a student uses it, they get props (or a skittle)!

Yellow is for high frequency words and pink is for enrichment vocabulary words.

Side Note: There's a "I'm Invisible" light button on my board. I turn it on when I'm testing or in small group. For some reason, 7 year olds don't understand "Do not interrupt me." But they understand a light! Thanks to my grade level team mate for sharing this idea!

One of my pet peeves is when name tags start to curl, peel, and look like they just came out of the trash can. This all usually happens by October.

Introducing: "Sharpie Paint Pens"!

I got this pack at Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon. Don't forget the coupon! Then they only cost $12. Did you know that if you don't have a coupon, you can just bring it up on your smart phone at the register?

I first saw this fab idea at the blog "Timeouts and Tootsie Rolls". My friend, Madalyn, and I decided to try this out this year. Then Madalyn had the great idea of color coding names so that we could create groups by color. So now we can say, "Purple People" pick up your group's papers.", or "Orange people will work together."

All you need is a Magic Eraser or nail polish remover to wipe off the names when you're ready to switch around seats. I've discovered that nail polish remover works best!

How do you keep all those important papers organized throughout the year? When you go to a meeting, do you have to scour your desk and files for just the right paper work? I hate losing things and not being prepared. So after browsing Pinterest, I found the Teacher Binder idea. A Teacher Binder is a binder (with divided sections) to keep your most used & important papers. This past school year was the first time I used a Teacher Binder, and let me tell you, I will never do without one! Here's a photo of my heavily used, but sturdy, binder:

With the new school year quickly approaching, I got the itch to create some new Teacher Binder designs. You can download these for free at my TPT store. There are three different designs- Multi Chevron, Chevron, and Apple Dots. I've included 12 different divider pages- Teacher Binder, Student information, Student Data, Common Core Standards, Lesson Ideas, Groups, Classroom Management, Meeting Notes, Resources, Parent Communication, Calendars, and a blank page. After you print the dividers, put them in page protectors, and you're all set! I added small tabs to label the sections on the sides. When you walk into your first team meeting with your new Teacher Binder, everyone will be impressed with your organization! I promise. :)

Picture this: It's the first day of school and your students are arriving with their parents. The kids are lugging in bags of supplies, you're chatting with parents, and you're trying to get everyone settled and busy. Every year I struggle with the constant flow of parents coming in to meet me and ask questions. So I decided to come up with an activity that would keep students busy, engaged, but not overwhelmed. I also kept in mind some ELA Common Core training that I recently received. One of my areas to grow is the opportunities I give students for speaking and listening. My plan is to have the following "This is Me!" graphic organizer on students' desks as they arrive. Then students will have the opportunity to share them with the class (hit those Speaking & Listening standards!). I'm also going to give out play-dough for students to create their favorite animal and to tell their groups WHY it's their favorite. Click on the picture & link below to download my "Back to School Activities" pack.

For the first piece of writing, students may use the graphic organizer to write a paragraph about themselves. I like to collect a first day writing sample from my students so I can determine where each student is with writing. Plus, who doesn't like writing about his/her self?

The next handout is a short back to school math task. This will help keep those early finishers busy!

Lastly, on the first day, I enjoy reading the book Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox. This is a must-read! After the read aloud, I share a Memory Bag with three things that tell about my memories (this is my modeling how to share). We discuss that a memory is something you remember and how memories can be happy, sad, funny, etc. I send home a brown paper bag with each student and staple a note to the front explaining their homework- Collect 3 objects that represent your memories. The following day, students share their Memory Bags. I take this opportunity to explain what makes a good listener (there's a good anchor chart I found on Pinterest about good listeners). This share time will provide another opportunity to hit those Speaking & Listening Common Core standards. Yay!!!

I hope you enjoy this free pack of activities and ideas. They are great way for getting to know your students and building those relationships!

Speaking of memories, here's a picture of one of my Yorkie babies, Elphie. She brings me joy every day!